Cosmetology Career Research Paper

My career interest is cosmetology. I have always wanted to own my own beauty salon and become a cosmetologist. I am interested in cosmetology because I love to do hair and being an African American, I need to have my hair done to look nice and presentable. As a child, I always wanted to do others and my own hair. My mother had a license in cosmetology for fourteen years and I always wanted to be just like her. My strengths are that I can do wraps, straighten and curl hair, relax and perm hair, shampoo and deep condition hair, weaves, up dos, color, roller wraps, children styles, and lashes. My weaknesses are that I can’t braid or cut hair, I can’t do arch, pluck, or thread eyebrows, I am not that great at make-up and I do not have a cosmetology license. If I can make my weaknesses my strengths then I will be on the perfect path to
success in life. Three individuals have inspired me toward the career of a cosmetologist.
Those people are my mom, Kelly Lamb, my aunt, Vanessa Quarterman, and my best friend’s stepmother, Trina Bishop. Both my mother and my aunt had cosmetology licenses in the past and Trina still has one. They have all done my hair and showed my some of the things I know today. They have all encouraged me to fulfill my dreams of being a cosmetologist. I know that they will be behind me one hundred percent while I make my way to the top. Experiences that have made me want to become a cosmetologist were watching movies about hair shows, watching others do hair, and actually knowing that doing my own hair is cheaper than going to the salon for someone else to do it. Watching others do hair was like watching cartoons for me when I was younger. It was very entertaining and I wanted to do the things I watched them do. I also knew that I could get paid for doing hair and if I was good at it, customers would recommend me to other people I would have more customers. I may not get paid as much as a lawyer but I would get paid a lot because a lot of people go to beauty
salons. According to Trina Bishop in an interview I gave her on November 22, 2012, the skills behind being a cosmetologist are licensed cut, trim, bleach, color, style, dress, curl, braid, straighten, relax, spray and mode, hair, make-up and different forms of arching eyebrows. The basics to cosmetology are hair, skin and nails but not everyone want to do nail. Some just want to hair and make-up. Aysha Schurman stated in her article “A Brief History of Cosmetology”, from the moment people realized they wanted to look good, other people helped them improve their appearance. She also stated that ancient cultures didn't use formal cosmetic classes to create these workers, but they relied on the long practice of apprenticeship or slavery (Schurman). During This career you have to provide cosmetic care and be able to do pretty much anything your customer request as long as it’s in the field you have your license in.